News List

June 13, 2014
Here is the latest edition of Week In Review - a series of weekly messages from the Mayor and City Council to help Richardson residents and businesses keep up to date on events at City Hall.

Senior Tax Exemption Goes from $55K to $60KThe City Council on Monday voted to raise the property tax exemption for those homeowners who are 65 and older or disabled from $55,000 to $60,000. The increase is based on the City Council's policy of maintaining the exemption at 30 percent of the average home value for those who are over 65 or disabled.

The tax exemption allows those who qualify to pay taxes for only a portion of the value of their home. For example, a home worth $120,000 would only be taxed on half of its value, while a senior living in a $200,000 home would pay taxes on $140,000 of the home’s value.

If you are a resident homeowner who is at least 65 years old or disabled, you can inquire about receiving the exemption by contacting the appraisal district for the county in which you reside. The phone number for the Dallas Central Appraisal District is 214-631-0910, and the phone number for the Central Appraisal District of Collin County is 469-742-9200.

Residents Provide Input on Public Art Master Plan

Walls covered with tiny reflective discs that move with the wind, murals with accompanying smartphone apps that manipulate their look, and crosswalks doused with patterns and color are just a few of the projects that participants at a workshop considered Wednesday as they discussed the future of public art in Richardson.
The “Imagine Art Here!” workshop gave dozens of Richardson residents the opportunity to view examples of public art from around the country and gather in groups to discuss what types of projects they’d like to see in Richardson. Their feedback will be considered as the City creates a Public Art Master Plan with assistance from consultants at Via Partnership. The Public Art Master Plan will serve as a 10-year guide for acquisition, site selection, funding and maintenance of public art throughout Richardson.

The Public Art Master Plan is being developed to support the Cultural Arts Master Plan, which was adopted by the City Council last year. Learn more about both plans at cor.net/CAMP.

Richardson Civic Art Society Donates Painting

A peaceful urban sunset scene is now on display on the second floor of the Richardson Public Library after the Richardson Civic Art Society donated the winning painting from its biggest annual art show to the City. “Sunset on Canal Street, New Orleans” is a watercolor painting by Gaylord O’Con that features the sun setting behind two red trolleys in downtown New Orleans. O’Con is a Dallas-based artist known for his cityscapes and street scenes.

Each year the Richardson Civic Art Society purchases the Best of Show winner at its Regional Juried Art Exhibition to donate to the City of Richardson to thank the City for its support. Winners from previous shows may also be viewed at the Library.

The Richardson Civic Art Society is a local group of artists that works to support visual arts in the community. Its 48th Regional Juried Art Exhibition was open to all Texas artists, and works selected by the jurors were recently displayed in the Eisemann Center. The group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:45 p.m. in the basement of the Richardson Public Library. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit richardson-arts.org.

Richardson Miss Texas Pageant Contestants Visit Council Meeting

Miss Richardson, Tailor Cook, and Miss Richardson Outstanding Teen, Amanda Higginbotham, visited the City Council work session Monday and received proclamations from Mayor Laura Maczka. They will join more than 100 other contestants in the Miss Texas and Miss Texas Outstanding Teen pageants, which will be held July 1 to 5 at the Eisemann Center. All of the contestants will make appearances and tour different areas of the city during their time in Richardson.

Contestants in the Miss Texas pageant will participate in evening wear and swimsuit competitions and demonstrate their talents and interview skills. Preliminary rounds will take place at 7 p.m. July 1 to 3. The new Miss Texas Outstanding Teen will be crowned at 2 p.m. and Miss Texas will be announced at 7 p.m. July 5. Tickets for all events are available by calling 972-744-4650 or online at eisemanncenter.com.

The Miss Texas pageant exists to provide personal and professional opportunities for young Texas women. To become Miss Texas, a contestant must first win a local competition, a process requiring personal commitment, hard work and talent. The winner of the Miss Texas competition will compete for the title of Miss America at an upcoming national pageant. Learn more at misstexas.org.

Summer Camps Begin Monday

Richardson’s Summer Camp Program begins Monday, June 16, for children age 5 to 15. The City offers a Kinder Camp for children age 5 and 6, a Playground Camp and Elementary Camp for children age 7 to 11 and a Teen Camp for children age 12 to 15.

Visit cor.net/parksonline to learn more about the Summer Camp program or to register for a camp session.

Dance Groups to Perform at Eisemann Center
The Eisemann Center will host several dance groups this week, beginning with the Dove Academy of Dance presenting “Story Time” at 5:30 p.m. Friday and “Let Me Tell You a Story” at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets cost $6 to $16. Learn more at dadancearts.com.

The Dance Movement will perform “Movies in Motion” at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets to all shows cost $8. For more information, visit thedancemovement.com.

The Dianne Cole Johnson School of Dance will hold its 37th Annual Recital with several performances this weekend. “La Fille Mal Gardee” will be presented at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. “Just Dance!” will be performed at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for all shows are $8. Visit dcjdance.com to learn more.

Tickets for all shows are available by calling 972-744-4650 or online at eisemanncenter.com.

Library to Host Teen Mega-Comix Makeup, Comics Chat
The Richardson Public Library will host a Mega-Comix Makeup program for students in sixth through 12th grades from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, in the Basement Program Room. The event will include a live makeup tutorial with professional makeup artist Ava Kamaria. Makeup will be provided. Register by calling 972-744-4358.
The Library will also hold a Comics Chat from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, June 20, in the Basement Program Room. Freddy and Chaunte from Collected Comics will answer questions and share the latest buzz from the world of comic books.

NETWORK holds free events each month featuring a topic of interest to seniors. Upcoming seminars include “End of Life Planning” July 1 and “Second Parenting” July 15.

Richardson Animal Shelter Pet of the Week

This is Ethan. He was brought to the Shelter as a stray. Ethan is a pit bull terrier mix, neutered male, fully vaccinated and about 2 years old. He’s an active young guy that loves to play. He also thinks he’s a lap dog and would love nothing more than to crawl into your lap and give kisses. Please come by and meet him today!